This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Wednesday's massive 11-game slate will require some additional preparation later in the day. Be prepared for lots of late-breaking news regarding some intriguing game-time calls that could make or break your contest entries.
SLATE OVERVIEW
DAL (-4.5) @ CLE O/U: 214
WAS (-4) vs. ORL O/U: 220.5
DEN (-9.5) @ IND O/U: 232
BOS (-4.5) vs. MIA O/U: 214.5
CHA (-2) @ NYK O/U: 225
TOR (-3) vs. MIN O/U: 229.5
SAC (-2.5) @ HOU O/U: 232.5
ATL (-12.5) @ OKC O/U: 229
MEM (-6) @ SAS O/U: 232
PHO (-6) @ GSW O/U: 224.5
NOP (-13.5) @ POR O/U: 228.5
It's time to put a lot of weight on playoff positioning when considering players for your lineups. Some teams like the Spurs, Hawks, Pelicans and Hornets are fighting to stay in the playoff hunt, while the Celtics and several Western Conference teams are jockeying for better playoff seeds. The teams who have the most to play for will usually produce the more reliable results.
The slate is plentiful with value at the forward position, so your four forward positions should hold the less-expensive targets. The guard and center positions appear to be the best spots to spend up.
INJURIES
CLE Evan Mobley (ankle) - OUT
CLE Jarrett Allen (finger) - OUT
CLE Dean Wade - OUT FOR SEASON
This is a plum spot for Kevin Love ($5,300) with both centers out, although I also expect Lauri Markkanen ($5,900) to provide frontcourt support.
ORL Wendell Carter (wrist) - OUT
Chuma Okeke ($4,600) will start for Carter and see increased output, but Mo Bamba ($5,600) stands to be the primary beneficiary in this spot.
WAS Kyle Kuzma (knee) -QUESTIONABLE
Seasonal players who depended on Kuzma all season are certainly missing him during the playoffs, but his absence sets up plenty of value in DFS play. Deni Avdija ($5,700), Rui Hachimura ($4,200) and Tomas Satoransky ($3,900) are all seeing increased time with Kuzma absent.
IND Malcolm Brogdon (rest) - QUESTIONABLE
IND Goga Bitadze (foot) - QUESTIONABLE
IND Isaiah Jackson (head) - QUESTIONABLE
The frontcourt situation for the Pacers is still a mess and considering the matchup, I wouldn't touch this spot. We'll highlight some additional options for a potential Brogdon absence in a moment.
BOS Robert Williams (knee) - OUT
Al Horford ($6,100) is set to return Wednesday, and he's expected to be the main pivot for Williams, who may be out for a while. Grant Williams ($5,300) will also have an impact in the frontcourt.
SAC Domantas Sabonis (knee) - OUT
SAC De'Aaron Fox (hand) - OUT
SAC Alex Len (illness) - QUESTIONABLE
Value continues to pour out of the Kings, and your top options will still be Davion Mitchell ($7,000) and Damian Jones ($5,100). Harrison Barnes ($5,500), Trey Lyles ($5,300) and Donte DiVincenzo ($5,300) are also still in play. Chimezie Metu ($4.100) could also sneak in and surprise the slate.
HOU Christian Wood (hamstring) - OUT
Apleren Sengun (leg) is the obvious pivot in this spot, but he carries a questionable tag. If Sengun can't go, I'll give extra consideration to Kenyon Martin ($3,900).
ATL Danilo Gallinari (elbow) - QUESTIONABLE
ATL De'Andre Hunter (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
ATL John Collins (finger) - OUT
If Gallinari and Hunter can't go, Kevin Huerter ($5,500) ends up in a smash spot against the Thunder. The blowout risk also increases the potential for players like Jalen Johnson ($3,900) to break out.
OKC Tre Mann (hamstring) -QUESTIONABLE
We will stop mentioning SGA, Giddey, Dort and Bazley because they are all done for the season. Although the remaining ragtag bunch shouldn't receive too much exposure, Mann's potential absence does increase the output for Theo Maledon ($6,300) and Aleksej Pokusevski ($6,300). Isaiah Roby ($7,000) will also play maximum minutes as the season draws to a close.
MEM Ja Morant (knee) - OUT
MEM Jaren Jackson (thigh) - QUESTIONABLE
Desmond Bane ($7,600) remains your top play for Morant, and with Jackson potentially out, the return of Brandon Clarke ($4,300) is an intriguing way to go. De'Anthony Melton ($5,800), Tyus Jones ($5,800) and Dillon Brooks ($5,900) also warrant consideration.
GSW Stephen Curry (foot) - OUT
Jordan Poole ($7,700) and Klay Thompson ($7,500) are the reliable pivots for Curry, and although there are less expensive options, none of them will reach the kind of production we need for a successful roster.
NOP Jonas Valanciunas (foot) - QUESTIONABLE
Willy Hernangomez ($3,700) will get the nod if JoVal misses. Although this has no bearing on tonight's slate, Zion Williamson is traveling with the team, hinting at an imminent return.
POR Anfernee Simons - OUT FOR SEASON
POR Josh Hart - (foot) - OUT
POR Justise Winslow (calf) - OUT
POR Trendon Watford (knee) - OUT
Keon Johnson ($3,900) saw 42 minutes in the last game, so it's time to fire him up. CJ Elleby and Brandon Williams will continue to excel, and although Drew Eubanks has a clear path to the five, the return of Greg Brown ($3,500) could limit his output.
ELITE PLAYERS
It seems like every night is a great night for Nikola Jokic ($11,400) lately, but he is in the best possible position Wednesday against the short-handed frontcourt of the Pacers. Indiana's guards will keep the game competitive, which should help Jokic get a full complement of minutes. He could easily reach 70 FP in this spot.
A lot of interest will go Luka Doncic's ($10,400) way as well, and I'm more inclined to opt for Doncic over Dejounte Murray ($10,800), who has a very tough matchup against the Grizzlies. Trae Young ($10,000) may eclipse all other guards, however. He'll play in his home state against the lowly Thunder, and since the Hawks need every win right now, Young will still see plenty of minutes despite the blowout risk. The guards are plentiful up top, as I don't mind Darius Garland ($9,200) or LaMelo Ball ($9,000) in the elite range, either.
EXPECTED CHALK AND CORE TARGETS
Julius Randle, NYK ($7,800) @ CHA
We'll never be able to touch on every great spot on such a big slate, but Randle's sub-8k salary sticks out as we look beyond the elites. It's generally been a grand idea to play big men against the Hornets, and Randle certainly fits the bill. He's only averaged a little over 30 FP over two games against Charlotte, but these totals were months ago, and Randle and company have a small sliver of hope in the playoff hunt. The Knicks will scrape for every win and hope luck is on their side down the stretch.
Fred VanVleet, TOR ($7,400) vs. MIN
How can you resist VanVleet at this salary? Although I wouldn't call it a complete mistake on FanDuel's part, but when you consider his upside, his number should be at 8k or higher. He wasn't at his best in the recent overtime win, but he's put up recent numbers well over 40 FP, and while we want similar numbers, he only needs around 37 FP to be worthwhile. I am also a fan of the remaining Toronto starters.
Jalen Green, HOU ($6,400) vs. SAC
I love Green's chances down the stretch, as the Rockets are giving him max minutes as he proves his worth as a first-round pick. He's coming off an excellent total against the Spurs, and his floor has been rock-solid recently. Houston has a shot to win this game, and it should be relatively competitive.
Also consider: Chris Paul, PHO ($8,200) @ GSW, Tyrese Haliburton, IND ($7,600) vs. DEN, Deandre Ayton, PHO ($7,000) @ GSW
VALUE PLAYS
D'Angelo Russell, MIN ($5,500) @ TOR
I never thought I'd see the day where I would put Russell in this category, but here we are. His salary is at a historic low, and while I think the decrease is partially justified, it's a little too low for a guy who can deliver with explosive totals on any given night. His shooting stroke has failed him frequently in recent weeks, but he needs only 28 FP to beat value. He's exceeded that number in five of his last eight games.
Caris LeVert ($5,200), CLE vs. DAL
LeVert is much like Russell, who has fallen victim to a few poor nights that has severely cut his salary. He woke up with almost 30 FDFP against Orlando in his last game, and if he can register solid shot volume, he could easily beat 5x value with his usually excellent peripheral numbers.
Josh Christopher, HOU ($3,900) vs. SAC
If Christopher had landed with any other team, we would be including him in the Rookie of the Year conversation. The Rockets picked him 24th, an absolute steal for the Arizona State one-and-done, and he's finally getting a chance to shine as the Rockets dig deeper into their depth chart. Like Jalen Green, I think we will see some explosive totals from Christopher down the stretch.
Refer back to the injury section for additional value targets.
